The Girimānanda SuttaAṅguttara Nikāya, Dasaka Nipāta 60(Very useful for those who practice meditation, also recommended by the Thai Forest Monks)

Thus I heard. At one time the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. But on that occasion the Venerable Girimānanda was afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. Then the Venerable Ānanda went to the Blessed One and after paying homage to him sat down at one side. When he had done so, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One.

“Venerable Sir, the Venerable Girimānanda is afflicted, suffering and gravely ill. It would be good, Venerable Sir, if the Blessed One were to go to the Venerable Girimānanda, out of compassion.”

“If, Ānanda, you go to the bhikkhu Girimānanda and tell him the ten contemplations, it is possible that the bhikkhu Girimānanda’s affliction may be immediately cured.

What are the ten?They are contemplation of impermanence, contemplation of no-self, contemplation of foulness, contemplation of danger, contemplation of abandoning, contemplation of fading away, contemplation of cessation, contemplation of disenchantment with the whole world, contemplation of impermanence in all formations, mindfulness of in-and out-breathing.

(1) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of impermanence?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus: Matter is impermanent, feeling is impermanent, perception is impermanent, formations are impermanent, consciousness is impermanent. Thus he dwells contemplating impermanence in these five aggregates as objects of clinging. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of impermanence.

(2) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of no-self?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus: The eye is not-self, visible objects are not-self; the ear is not-self, sounds are not-self; the nose is not-self, odours are not-self; the tongue is not-self, flavours are not-self; the body is not-self, tangible objects are not-self; the mind is not-self, mental objects are not self. Thus he dwells contemplating no-self in these internal and external bases. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of no-self.

(3) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of foulness?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu reviews this body, up from the soles of the feet and down from the top of the hair and contained in the skin, as full of many kinds of filth: In this body there are head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, midriff, spleen, lungs, bowels, entrails, dung, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat,fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil-of-the-joints, and urine. Thus he dwells contemplating foulness in this body. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of foulness.

(4) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of danger?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place,considers thus: This body is the source of much pain and many dangers; for all sorts of afflictions arise in this body, that is to say, eye-disease, ear-disease, nose-disease, tonguedisease, body-disease, headache, mumps, mouth-disease, tooth-ache, coughs, asthma, colds, heart-burn, fever, stomach-ache, fainting, bloody-flux, gripes, cholera, leprosy, boils, plague, consumption, falling-sickness, itch, ringworm, small-pox, scab, pustule, jaundice, diabetes, piles, cancer, fistula; and afflictions due to bile, due to phlegm, due to wind, consisting in conflict of the humours, produced by change of climate, by unaccustomed activity, by violence, by Kamma-result; and cold, heat, hunger, thirst, excrement, and urine. Thus he dwells contemplating danger in this body. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of danger.

(5) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of abandoning?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu does not tolerate a thought of lust when it arises, he abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, annihilates it. He does not tolerate a thought of ill will when it arises, he abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, annihilates it. He does not tolerate a thought of cruelty when it arises, he abandons it, dispels it, makes an end of it, annihilates it. He does not tolerate evil, unprofitable states when they arise. He abandons them, dispels them, makes an end of them, annihilates them. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of abandoning.

(6) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of fading away?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus: This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of every substratum of becoming, the destruction of craving, fading away, Nibbāna. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of fading away.

(7) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of cessation?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, considers thus: This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is to say the stilling of all formations, the relinquishing of every substratum of existence, the destruction of craving, cessation, Nibbāna. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of cessation.

(8) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of disenchantment with the whole world?Here, Ānanda, by abandoning any concern and clinging, any mental prejudices and beliefs, any inherent tendencies, regarding the world, by not clinging, he becomes disenchanted. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of disenchantment with the whole world.

(9) And what, Ānanda, is contemplation of impermanence in all formations?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is horrified, humiliated, and disgusted by all formations. This, Ānanda, is called contemplation of impermanence in all formations.

(10) And what, Ānanda, is mindfulness of in- and out-breathing?Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu, gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, sets his body erect, establishes mindfulness in front of him, just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out.

Breathing in long, he knows, ’I breathe in long’; or breathing out long, he knows, ’I breathe out long.’

Breathing in short, he knows, ’I breathe in short’; or breathing out short, he knows, ’I breathe out short.’ ’Experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe in,’ he trains himself; ’experiencing the whole body, I shall breathe out,’ he trains himself.

If, Ānanda, you go to the bhikkhu Girimānanda and tell him these ten contemplations, it is possible that the bhikkhu Girimānanda’s affliction may be immediately cured on hearing them.”

Then, when the Venerable Ānanda had learnt these ten contemplations from the Blessed One, he went to the Venerable Girimānanda and told them to him. Then, when the Venerable Girimānanda had heard these ten contemplations, his affliction was immediately cured. The Venerable Girimānanda rose from that affliction, and that is how his affliction was cured.